What can you do if you slide off a 10-story scaffold or if you find yourself in free fall when the parachute does not open? The odds aren't in your favor, but survival is possible. If you can keep your cool, there are ways to control the speed of your fall and the strength of the impact. Here's what you need to do.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Strategy for Surviving a Fall of Several Floors
Step 1. Grab an object during the fall
If you can grab a large object, such as a plank of wood or a piece of tarpaulin, you will greatly increase your chances of survival. The object will absorb some of the impact when you fall and the pressure on your bones will be less.
Step 2. Try to break your fall into several parts
If you are falling next to a building or off a cliff, do your best to break the fall into several parts by hitting a ledge, some ground below, a tree or other object. This will curb the inertia of the fall and suffer shorter falls, greatly increasing the chances of survival.
Step 3. Relax your body
If the knees and elbows are locked and the muscles stiff, the impact of the fall will do more damage to vital organs. Don't stay rigid. Do your best to relax your body so that when you hit the ground you can better absorb the impact.
- One way to stay (relatively) calm is to focus on techniques to increase your chances of survival.
- Maintain control of your body by moving your arms and legs to make sure they're not stiff.
Step 4. Bend your knees
There is probably nothing more important (or easy to do) to survive a fall than bending the knees. Research has shown that keeping the knees bent on impact can reduce the force by 36 times. Don't bend them too much though - just keep a slight angle to not keep them stuck.
Step 5. Land with your feet
Regardless of the height you are falling from, you should always try to land with your feet. This will focus the impact on a small area, making your feet and legs absorb much of the force. If you find yourself in another position, try to straighten up before hitting the ground.
- Fortunately, taking the foot-down position seems like an instinctive reaction.
- Keep your feet and legs together so that both feet hit the ground at the same time.
- Land on your toes. Point your toes down slightly before impact so that you land on your toes. This will allow the lower body to better absorb the impact.
Step 6. Try to fall to one side
After touching the ground with your feet, you will fall to one side, forward or backward. Avoid hitting your back. Falling to one side is statistically the best choice. If you can't do this, try to fall forward then, cushioning the fall with your arms.
Step 7. Protect your head when you bounce
When you fall from a great height, you usually tend to bounce. Some people who survive the first impact (often thanks to a fall on their feet) suffer from a fatal second impact injury. They probably lose consciousness at the moment of the rebound. Then cover your head with your arms, placing them on the sides of your head with your elbows facing forward and your fingers interlocked behind your head or neck. This will protect a large part of the head.
Step 8. Get medical attention right away
Thanks to all the adrenaline flowing through your veins from flying, you may not even feel hurt after landing. Even if you can't spot injuries, you may have suffered internal fractures or trauma that need to be treated immediately. Regardless of what your feelings tell you, get to a hospital as soon as possible.
Method 2 of 2: Strategy to Survive a Fall from a Plane
Step 1. Slow down your fall using the bow stance
Unless you're falling out of an airplane, you won't have enough time to try this method. Maximize your surface by spreading your arms and legs using this skydiving technique.
- Position yourself so that the front of your body is facing the ground.
- Arch your back and pubis, tilting your head back as if you were trying to touch the back of your neck with your legs.
- Extend your arms and bend your elbows to 90 degrees so that your forearms and hands point forward (parallel and lateral to the head) with the palms facing down; open your legs shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees slightly. DO NOT lock your legs and keep your muscles relaxed. Land in motion to better absorb impact.
Step 2. Find the best landing spot
In the event of a fall from a considerable height, the surface you will land on is the most important variable for your chances of survival. Look for steep slopes that become slightly less steep so you don't lose all your inertia on impact. Watch the ground beneath you as you fall.
- Hard, inflexible surfaces like concrete are the worst to fall on. Also try to avoid uneven or highly jagged surfaces, which offer a smaller area on which to distribute the force of the impact.
- The best surfaces to fall on are those that will compress or make room for you when you land on them, such as snow, soft ground (a recently worked field or a swamp), trees and dense vegetation (although in this case you will run) a great risk of impalement).
- The water is only safe for falls up to 30 meters; beyond this height the water has slightly better conditions than concrete, because it cannot be compressed. Falling in the water also presents a great risk of drowning (because you will likely lose consciousness from the impact). Water is much safer if it is frothy and full of bubbles.
Step 3. Make your way to the landing spot
If you are falling from an airplane, you will usually have 1-3 minutes before impact. You will also have the option to travel horizontally for a good distance (up to about three kilometers).
- From the bow stance described above, you can direct your flight forward by pulling your arms slightly back from your shoulders (so they're not so stretched forward) and straightening your legs.
- You can move backward by extending your arms and bending your knees as if you are trying to touch the back of your head with your heels.
- You can turn to the right by lowering the right shoulder slightly from the arched position, and perform left turns by lowering the left shoulder.
Step 4. Use the correct landing technique
Remember to relax your body, keep your knees bent and fall on your feet. Fall forward and not backward, protecting your head with your arms in the event of a rebound.
If you have assumed the arched position, put your body upright before landing (as a guide, keep in mind that from a height of 300 meters you will have about 6-10 seconds, depending on your speed, before impact)
Advice
- If you find yourself spinning out of control, try to regain stability with the arc stance. Staying stable will at least help you keep some of your calm.
- If you are over an urban area, you probably won't be able to control your flight precisely enough to choose a good landing surface, but glass or tin roof structures, tents and cars are preferable to roads and concrete roofs.
- Good physical condition and young age have a positive influence on the chances of surviving a fall. You certainly can't change your age, but here's another reason to be in good physical shape.
- If you land on a soft sand or clay surface, there is a chance that you will get stuck. Don't panic! Try to walk inside the material, as if you were climbing a ladder, while using your hands to push yourself up with long, powerful movements. You will have enough oxygen for at least a minute, which is more than enough time to reach the surface.
- Keep calm, if you panic you won't be able to think clearly!
